"Child care providers are the backbone of our economy in many ways," Wolf said. "Without their work, children would miss out on an introduction to education that helps them throughout childhood, adolescence and adulthood, and parents and guardians may have to stay home or not pursue education themselves.

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"I cannot understate how valuable this work is to local communities and the commonwealth as a whole, and as Pennsylvania reopens, we need a robust and healthy child care system."

Pennsylvania received $106 million in CARES Act funding to support child care providers that will be doled out in two waves. The first wave will send funding to all eligible, licensed child care providers and is designed to help providers prepare to reopen as counties move to the state's yellow phase.

The second wave will be handed out following a study by the state Department of Human Services Office of Child Development and Early Learning and Penn State Harrisburg's Institute of State and Regional Affairs. That study will assess the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on child care providers.

"Child care providers allow parents and guardians to go to work knowing their children are being cared for in a safe, nurturing, and educational environment," said Department of Human Services Secretary Teresa Miller. "Without their service, we cannot have a fully functional economy, and we are committed to helping them weather this tumultuous period.

"This CARES Act funding allows us to support child care providers who are undoubtedly feeling the current strain on their businesses so they can continue to be a resource for families around Pennsylvania."

The amounts other counties in the region will receive in the first wave of funding are: